Accessibility Links

Austerity state split over poll

John Walsh

July 7 2015, 1:00am, The Times

Greece’s rejection of the EU bailout terms has elicited a mixed response in countries that had to swallow the bitter medicine of austerity.

In Ireland, the ruling coalition partners — the centre right Fine Gael and the centre left Labour party — swept to power in 2011 on a pledge to renegotiate Dublin’s debt burden. The European Commission and the EU’s powerbrokers, Germany, rebuffed all attempts.

If Greece succeeded in negotiating a write-down on its debt obligations, it would be a boon to the Irish opposition parties in the run-up to the next general election, which has to be held by April next year.

The Greek “no” vote has found huge support among Ireland’s hard left, which is gaining traction among an electorate buffeted by…